Stella lifts her hand, waving fingers. “Bye, bye.”

The second he’s out the door, Stella groans. “I’m sorry, Jess. I didn’t know he was here, and I guess I got a little loud.”

“Yeah, I’m sure the entire town heard,” Delia snorts.

My head drops onto my arms. “This is what we were afraid of.”

“What? My father?”

I lift my chin. “And everyone else.”

She waves dismissively. “Please, he has zero room to talk. His last mistress literally vandalized the B&B that Oliver is running. Grayson had to go help clean it up.”

“That didn’t stop your parents from making things hard for us before.”

“Grayson isn’t a kid anymore. They don’t make decisions in his life, and I promise, he doesn’t give two shits about what they think.”

“Is there an us?” Winnie asks. “Are you guys together or . . .”

I let out a deep sigh. There were no intentions of telling anyone, let alone discussing this with them. “We’re taking things slow.”

“Clearly not,” Delia says with a snort. “I said you should kiss him, not sleep with him.”

“Yes, and I was clearly taking all your advice.”

She shrugs. “It was a foregone conclusion anyway.”

“What was?” I ask.

“You and Gray,” Stella cuts in.

Winnie nods. “Yeah, I mean, I had you holding out at least another week. Stella, what did you have?”

“I thought they’d have done it much earlier, I’m actually impressed with her.”

Delia puts a twenty on the table. “I said she wouldn’t do it at all and that she’d heal and leave. You win, Winnie.”

Winnie takes the twenty and then extends her hand to Stella. “Pay up, bitch.”

I stare at these people like they have four heads. “You bet on us?” No one looks the least bit apologetic. “And what exactly was the point?”

Stella rolls her eyes. “Listen, you and Grayson may want to pretend that you were going to be friends and whatnot, but we saw it. Grayson bought that freaking plot of land that was special to you guys and then refused to sell it. After you got back, I can’t tell you how many times I would find him standing at those windows, staring out. He’s loved you forever, and I’m pretty sure the same goes for you.”

“We’re taking things slow,” I say again.

Winnie gives me a soft smile. “Yeah, whatever you both need to tell yourselves.”

Delia puts another twenty down. “Twenty bucks says they’re engaged before the end of the year.”

“I’ll see your twenty and raise you ten that it’s in the next two months.”

I lean back in my seat, knowing they’re both wrong because it’s just a matter of time before I’m cleared to leave, and then, I’ll have to make a decision that I really don’t want to make.

Chapter 22

Grayson